Draconequus Apprentice
by Kikuna
Summary: Have you ever wondered why the children of Equestria are blessed with names, destinies, and cutie marks that are woven together so cohesively? Parents cannot predict their child's special talent. They cannot predict the future. But someone can.
1. Prologue

Have you ever wondered why the children of Equestria are blessed with names, destinies, and cutie marks that are woven together so cohesively? Parents cannot predict their child's special talent. They cannot predict the future, but I can.

It is my duty to remain in isolation as I conjure the magic that guides fillies and colts towards their destinies. For thousands upon thousands of years this task has fallen upon the shoulders of the draconequus race. A deep understanding of the chaotic nature of fate and mastery of a powerful imagination are vital to properly assigning names and designing cutie marks.

I remember the day I ascended to this honored position. From that day onward, my sole contact to my home dimension was the princess of the night. Each visit, she would carry news of expecting mares. Reaching into the fabrics of time and space, I would unravel the filly or colt's future, and to guide that fragile life, I would send back two gifts. The first, delivered to the dreams of the parents: a name for the unborn filly. The second, hidden in the child's soul: the cutie mark that will one day reveal itself. This is the only medium through which I may communicate prophesies, both for the individual pony and Equestria's future.

But, I am weary. From afar I observed the destruction of my race. Immortality and eternal youth are of no significance to me. Despite the joy of observing Classical-Era Equestria from afar, I wish to rejoin my race in the afterlife. However honor binds me to this lonely existence until I pass on my title.

There is only one creature left in Equestria capable to inheriting this ancient honor. And only one who can prepare her.

• .•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	2. Chapter 1

"Guess who decided to make an appearance? How's it going blank flank?" a lavender-colored filly sneered as I walk by. She proudly tossed her silky silver mane and grinned down at her elegant clam shell cutie mark.

I froze. Averting my gaze from the stares, I lowered my head in shame. I could feel agony building up in my heart and misery flood my mind. My hooves began to quiver and I felt warm tears flow down my face. I heard more voices, but it all blurred into a painful buzz. I took off, running blindly. My hooves began to ache as they struck the hard cobbles of the streets. I ran faster and faster until at last the noise of the town fadded away. My legs burned, but I kept pushing myself until I collapsed into grass that was still wet with morning dew. I gasped for air, and my whole body trembled with exhaustion and heartache.

I looked up at the blue sky through my tears. My thoughts were an incoherent chaos of emotions. After what seemed like hours of sobbing on and off, I fell asleep and let the day slip away.

My eyes opened and I looked around. The sun was glistening off of a nearby pond and the gentle breeze was tangling my fluffy yellow and white locks into disarray. I sat up and wiped my face, wishing I could push away all the mean words as easily as I could wipe away tears.

I reluctantly turned my head and look down at my grey rump. I had no cutie mark. Everypony my age had a cutie mark. I stood up and shakily walked over to the edge of the water. I nervously peaked my head over the water and looked down at my reflection. Nothing special. No special talent. Not even a name.

"There you are," a kind voice says behind me. I turn and see a pretty mare approaching me. Her soft blue flank was adorned with a lovely composition of roses and a religious symbol. Her white mane glowed as brightly as her smile. She plopped down next to me.

Her smile wilted a bit. "You should not charge off like that, you might get lost."

I averted my gaze and looked into the water, the miserable-looking blue bloodshot eyes of my reflection staring back at me. The mare sighed and tilted my face up to look at her.

"You were brought to the sanctuary when you were just a baby," she said as she began braiding my mane. "Instantly we knew that you were special – a baby with the most adorable smile and the most contagious laughter. But recently, all I see are tears and misery. Why do you cry, my little sunshine?"

My given name was unknown to the sisters who took me in. I was told to expect one upon adoption or taking oaths and joining the sanctuary. Whichever came first. But this mare, Delilah Rose, sometimes called me 'little sunshine.'

"I'm a blank flank," I whimpered.

Delilah's eyes widened. "Who has been calling you that?"

I tried to open my mouth to speak, but my lip began to quiver and the sobs erupted again. I scurried into the mare's arms and she stroked my back soothingly. Delilah always had a soft, soothing way with fouls. It was, after all, her special talent.

"Everypony gets a cutie mark someday," Delilah began, "I was the last one amongst my many siblings to get a cutie mark. My parents adopted a tiny filly when I was your age. I quickly grew to adore her so much. Nothing made me happier than to help take care of her. My desire to sooth the heartaches of Equestria's lost fouls guided me to the sanctuary. The appearance of my cutie mark reassured me that I had found my destiny. Maybe you haven't found your cutie mark because your destiny is waiting elsewhere, far away from bullies."

I looked up at her. "Maybe if I'm adopted?"

She nodded and rose to her hooves. "Come, little sunshine. Let's walk back home together. I'll make sure no mean bullies call you names."

I eagerly walked close to Delilah. As we trotted back into town, I caught a whiff of something sweet in the air. I looked around for the source, and spotted a side of a house covered in strange-looking white and yellow flowers.

I tugged at Delilah's mane, "what's that?"

She walked over to the fence, picked a small bunch, and brought it down for me to see.

"These are honeysuckle flowers," she explained, "They grow on vines and bloom high up! They're so sweet all the bees can't resist visiting." She tucked the honeysuckle flowers into my braid. "White and yellow, just like your mane!"

Suddenly Delilah flashed a glance over her shoulder, her face stricken with worry. She looked back at me and smiled.

"Sorry little sunshine," she said, "I just… somehow feel like we're being watched."

Delilah and I walked home in silence. After that moment, her smiles seemed like a mask. Something was truly troubling her, as if she felt a disturbance that had laid a curse on the quiet town we called home.

• .•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	3. Chapter 2

Discord snapped his taloned hand and teleported to a simple rooftop. Staying hidden, he sneered at the scene below. Pathetic little colts were chasing one another in the cobbled streets and the pretty fillies were playing with cornhusk dolls. The chatter and squeals of delight made Discord chuckle. As tempting as it was to conjure a chocolate fountain or make a pile of unmeltable snow for them to play in, he resisted.

Soon, his boredom reached its peak. Right when he was about to teleport, the gibbering fell silent. At first Discord panicked, thinking he had been spotted. But everypony was staring not at his hiding place, but at a little filly who just arrived, hoof in hoof with a blue mare.

The mare was unimpressive and ordinary, so Discord decided the filly must be the source of the disturbance. She was a tiny weakling, a simple grey coat with a messy swirl of yellow and white locks. She was cowering behind the mare, trembling like a leaf. Discord had to pinch himself to keep from bursting out laughing.

A second mare, black and white with a wrinkled complexion, approached and pulled the blue mare aside. Discord decided to teleport to them and hide. He listened in…

"I can't leave. They tease her so much," the blue mare was pleading.

"I don't want to hear it. You are babying the filly and soon she'll be so spoiled and cowardly she'll be forced to remain in the sanctuary forever. Don't you want her to be happy? To find her own path?" the cranky mare replied.

"Well…yes…I do…but…."

"Then you'll leave right now and accompany me to the meeting. We have a family that might adopt her. Let's. Not. Mess. This. Up. UNDERSTOOD?!"

The blue mare shrank back and then nervously nodded.

"Will you be OK here by yourself, little sunshine?" she asked, bringing the filly into an embrace.

The filly puffed out her chest and nodded confidently, making the blue mare's face bloom with happiness. As she walked away, Discord could tell she was struggling not to look back.

The little filly's confidence instantly vanished like a blown out candle. She slowly approached the other foals. His curiosity satisfied, Discord decided to leave.

With a flash, Discord found himself in his kitchen, his mismatched feet touching down upon the white-painted ceiling, a vague impersonation of a chandelier beside him, the gold metal frame twisted almost beyond recognition and the glass beads jutting out at odd angles, a small ball of flame illuminating the room from the middle of the jumbled mess.

Back and white checkered walls rose up on all sides and what should have been the white-marble floor hung high above him, almost as if the room had been flipped upside down. He noted his fireplace and water pump on the ceiling but, as a wooden table and several wooden chairs floated past, he decided that he wasn't quite satisfied with the kitchen. It needed more colorful, whimsical twists.

As the draconequus zapped away, he found himself TWICE thinking about the grey filly.

"Why am I wasting my energy thinking about this? There was absolutely nothing significant about her. Completely ordinary. Bah! Didn't even have a cutie mark. I am the lord of chaos! I don't have time to worry about such...pathetically ordinary topics."

He created a mirror and posed, practicing his signature smolder. Discord's reflection nodded in approval.

"I truly am the most handsome Draconequus in Equestria. Well…the only one. But that just makes me even more appealing."

He glared at himself. Suddenly he was thinking about the filly again. She seemed almost…too ordinary.

He chuckled, "maybe she needs some chaos to shake up her ordinary existence in that little town. We shall see."

And with that resolved to return to the town. Just for a minute or two. Foals were annoying urchins, but something was odd about this little grey pony. He intended to satisfy his curiosity.

• .•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	4. Chapter 3

I sat quietly by myself, trying not to notice that my presence had driven everypony into the distance. I looked around a bit, suddenly remembering the house covered in honeysuckle vines. I decided to go pick some for Delilah.

As I hopped down from the swing and started to walk away, I saw a flash of brown and then felt the impact of the street. When I looked around I realized I had been struck with a ball. A young blue colt with a spikey yellow mane and an athletic cutie mark was running over to retrieve it, laughing hysterically.

"Hahahahaha! Bullseye! I hit Blank Flank!" he said mockingly, standing over me.

I shrunk back and squeaked, "That's not my name!"

He burst out laughing, "Then if it's not Blank Flank, what is it?"

I instantly regretted saying anything at all. Then to my horror I noticed the other foals walking over, whispering things like 'blank flank,' 'nameless,' and 'orphan.' I slowly retreating backwards. Suddenly my rump hit a dead end and I found myself cornered. I could feel tears starting to form in my eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut and braced myself for the taunting to commence.

But it didn't. I waited, and then suddenly I heard a squeal.

"Whaaaat?"

"What is this?"

"Is this….soap?"

"Ahhhh! I can't walk!"

My eyes fluttered opened and somehow the entire street had turned into a slippery, soapy surface. The foals were completely unable to regain control of their balance. I seized the opportunity to make a dash and get out. Once I escaped, I took off running. My legs were still sore from the day before, so it was not long before I was gasping for air and my heart was fluttering. I slowed down to an exhausted trudge, my eyes locked onto my front hooves. One miserable step at a time. At last I reached the same pond from yesterday.

I sighed in relief and collapsed, thankful to breathe in the scent of fresh air and grass.

I looked over my shoulder, thinking about how funny everyone looked sliding around. I burst out laughing, rolling around in the grass. I couldn't stop smiling.

I heard laughter above my head. I looked up at the trees but saw nothing. The laughter continued. But this laughter was different from when I was bullied. It wasn't laughing at me…it was laughing with me.

Without warning I was blinded with a flash of light. My eyes widened as I suddenly faced an enormous creature hovering over the pond. Our town was only populated by earth ponies back then, so I hadn't met a pegasus or unicorn. But this definitely was not a pony of any sort. Intrigued, I stared at him with wide eyes. He looked down at me with disapproving yellow and red, stroking his white beard.

His body seemed to be a mismatch of creatures. His grey head and mane reminded me of a mule, but two different antlers sprouted from his head. One was white like a deer, the other a blue twist. A single fang protruded from his mouth. His torso consisted of brown feathers, and his tail was red and scaled. One of his arms was that of a lion, the other of an eagle. His legs were asymmetrical as well. One was brown and hoofed, like a pony. The other was green and scaled like a reptile. From his back sprouted two different wings. One was feathered and the other was leathery.

"If you stand there with your mouth gaping open, flies will swarm in" he said as he snapped his finger. A swarm of flies instantly surrounded me. I tucked my face between my hooves, trying to suppress my giggles. I heard another snap and the cloud of bugs vanished. I looked up at the creature with a smile. I didn't understand why, but for some reason this magic made me so happy.

He leaned down, eye-to-eye with me.

"What's so funny?" he asked. I stood up on my hind legs and bopped him on the nose gently with my hoof, giggling. He flinched and pulled back.

"How dare you touch the Lord of Chaos!" he snarled, flashing a long fang and snarling. I tilted my head to the side. He sighed and zapped next to me on a plush sofa. It had a swirled golden frame with purple velvet cushions.

I poked the regal looking sofa curiously and looked at him in bewilderment. That certainly had not been there a moment ago. I had only seen magic described in old ponies' tail picture books, but I was sure that he had used magic. He stretched and looked down at me with a pompous air.

"I am Discord: Lord of Chaos and the last draconequus in Equestira; the most powerful creature of all! Do you not fear me, filly?"

"Dra…? Draco…draconeque?" I mumbled, trying my hardest to pronounce it right.

"It's draconequus. Dra. Con. E. Quus. Honestly you ponies have no respect for other species. Pay more attention in class. On second thought, you seem a little too young to attend school. So when you do, try to learn the names of creatures."

"Soap!" I suddenly realized that this creature might have been the one who transformed the playground.

"Soap?" His taunting voice replied.

"Did you…make the soap?"

"Oh yes. That's a favorite trick of mine. It was hilarious to see all those fillies slipping and sliding helplessly. Not so tough when the ground is ripped up from beneath them, quite literally. But no need to thank me…I certainly didn't do it for you. I was simply entertaining myself."

He snapped and a glass of chocolate milk appeared in his hand. I stared up at him in wonder, amazing by his magic.

"Well? Would you like something?" he asked as he took a gulp of the contents.

I shuffled my hoofs, suddenly nervous.

"No…no thank you."

"Well then you better begone before I grow bored of you and turn your mane into a tangle of snakes!"

I jumped back and giggled, then scurried off towards the town. Before I got far, he teleported in front of me. I skidded to a halt and almost crashed into him.

"What did you say your name was?" Discord asked.

I averted my gaze and pawed at the sandy trail.

"Well? What is it?" Discord demanded, obviously annoyed.

"Ummm…well….you see…" I can feel my face grow red with humiliation. Discord growled, now insulted.

"I don't have one!" I cried, and then I took off running. But I didn't get far before Discord reappeared, this time hanging down from an apple tree.

"What do you mean you don't have a name? Everypony has a name."

I shook my head and looked up at the draconequus, trying to hold back the tears building up in my eyes.

"Well then," Discord vanished and reappeared on the ground next to me, "in that case I'm going to have to give you one." He conjured a book and started flipping through it, muttering to himself softly and scribbling notes as he went. He reached out his pawed hand and lifted my chin to look at him directly.

"Interesting," Discord said as he resumed scribbling in his book. I tried to lean over and take a peak, but then I found myself teleported up into the tree. Except the world suddenly seemed upside down and gravity was pulling me towards the sky. I clung to the trunk and squealed.

"Lemme down! It's scary up here! I'm gonna fall! Please!" I begged, calling down to him.

"That's what you get for peaking," he teases as he closes his book and flies up to me. "Will you be a good filly and not peak again? After all, I'm doing you a favor."

I nodded and he snaps his fingers to conjure a cloud. I hesitated, because I remember Delilah once telling me that only pegasi could stand on clouds.

Discord sighed. "You won't fall through. I promise. It's artificial enough for you to stand on."

I nervously let go of the branch and feel myself drop down. After a moment of panic I felt my body fall into a soft hug of white fluff. I sat up and looked around, amazed to find myself resting on a cloud. It slowly float down and at last the world was right side up again. I laughed as I leapt off the cloud and hugged the Draconequus.

He quickly vanished and reappeared a few feet away, obviously not a huggy person. A writing desk appeared and Discord returned to flipping through his book and furiously taking notes. He summoned more books that open up and start floating around him. He glances at them and continues to work. I sit down and observe. At one point he snaps his fingers and I found myself resting on a cushion.

I watched him work, and time went on. The quiet of the afternoon and the rustle of paper soothed me. Soon my eyelids began to grow heavy and I fell asleep.

• .•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	5. Chapter 4

"I did it!" Discord exclaimed as he slammed his book shut and leaped into the air. He looked down and found the filly sleeping soundly. He leans in and looks at her closely. She didn't stir. He snaps his talon and conjures a flower crown made of honey suckle vines and flowers. He places it on the little earth pony's head.

He felt the edges of his mouth creep into a smile. He flinches.

"What am I doing? I've wasted too much time." He looks down at her one more time.

Discord leaned in and whispered into the filly's ear, "goodbye, Honeysuckle." He chuckles and vanishes without a trace.

What he didn't notice was that the filly was fake sleeping. When Discord vanished she rushed to the pond and looked at her reflection, soaking in the joy of finally having a name. She whispered it over and over again to herself.

Armed with a beaming smile, Honeysuckle proudly walked back into town.

• .•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	6. Chapter 5

I walked through the heavy doors of the sanctuary entrance trotted inside. Instantly I see Delilah flying down the hall and embraces me.

"Oh my little sunshine! I missed you," she began, "Did you have a good day? Were they mean to you again? Where did you get that beautiful flower crown?"

I just smile snuggle close. Delilah takes me by the hoof and walks me down the hallway.

"We were starting to worry. You were gone so long. There is a wonderful mare and stallion that wishes to meet you, isn't that exciting?" she continues as she opens the door to the head mare's office. The elder mare sat behind her desk, and a strange mare and colt sat across from her. They turned and looked at me, strange smiles on their faces. Delilah gently nudges me forward, and I walk in.

Her crackly voice calls out, "Nameless filly? Walk here this instant! Stop fidgeting. And for goodness sake take off that ridiculous mess in your mane. You'll drop leaves all over the floor." And with that she reaches out a hoof and snatches off the flower crown. I yelp and try to reach for it, but a stern look from Delilah makes me shrink back and stand still.

After clearing her throat, she continued. "Now then. Lady Winter Mist and Lord Glacial, this is the filly I have told you about. As you can see, she is a beautiful young mare. Shy, a crybaby, and far from cleaver. But these things can be outgrown. She is yours to name and call your own."

My attention snapped from the loss of my flower crown. I could hardly believe it. Was I about to be sent away? I had always wanted to be adopted, but suddenly my mind flew to the strange creature who had made me smile. Suddenly I did not want to leave. I had not even been able to thank Discord for naming me.

The mare stands and walks over to me. Her flank was snow white and her mane was dusty blue like a winter sky. My eyes wandered to her cutie mark, which was a beautiful snowflake. But something about the sharp edges made a shiver run down my spine. She tilts her head and stares at me, scrutinizing every square inch. She turns to her husband, her cold smile sending shivers down my spine.

"I think she'll do," Winter Mist says, "She needs some fixing up. But with time perhaps she will be a perfect daughter." Glacial grunts and nods, obviously resolved to allow his wife make this decision.

Winter Mist turns to me. "I'm going to be your Mommy," she says, "and your name will be Crystal. Crystal Frost. Isn't that wonderful? You finally have a name! And I bet as soon as we arrive at your new home it won't be long until you have lots of friends. You'll like it there. It's always snowy and beautiful. As if it's always Hearts and Hooves Day. Oh and of course you'll be exposed to high society. Your father is a high ranked aristocrat."

I had dreamed of this moment for so long…but suddenly it pained my ears to say these things. I felt a storm inside me. My life was spinning out of control, and I had no say in it. Or did I?

I look up at my 'mother.' "I can't be Crystal Frost. I already have a name. I am Honeysuckle," I declare. My voice rang loudly in the room, and the space was swallowed into silence.

Winter Mist turned to the elder mare. "I thought you said she had no given name? Was I…misinformed?"

"Of course she has no name," she exclaimed as she shot up from her seat. "She is the one misinforming you." Her voice dripping with anger as she glared down at me. "Your name is Crystal Frost. Understood?"

I felt tears rising to my eyes. The storm inside was about to explode.

"No!" I cried out. "I am Honeysuckle! Discord said so!" As I broke down into sobs the room floods with light. When I open my eyes, I discover that everything in the office turned into…pink clouds?

I hear Delilah gasp behind me, "what just happened?"

"What is this nonsense?" Glacial cried angrily. His tail was covered in in chunks of pink fluff.

His wife, lifting her hooves from the sticky floor, shutters in disgust. She turns to the elder mare and coldly snarls, "Is this some kind of joke? This isn't a sanctuary, this is a freak show! And she," the mare pointed at me, "is a chaotic mess." And with that, she storms out. Glacial followed close behind, slamming the door.

The elder mare rushes after them, I could hear her voice begging the couple to stay. I turn to Delilah, my face streaming with tears. She takes me into her arms. When I finally calm down, she places the flower crown on my head again.

"Honeysuckle…yes. That name suits you beautifully," she smile radiating. But in her eyes I saw worry. I lifted my hoofs and placed the flower crown on her head. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

Delilah's face suddenly grew serious and she quickly escorted me out of the office and to another room. She shut the windows and locked the door. Frantically Delilah Rose began running around the room and shoving items into a saddlebag.

"We don't have long, so listen carefully my little sunshine. If you remain here, you will inevitably be given away to an even worse family. After today you would never be allowed to take the oath and live here permanently. For the past weeks I have had dreams…dreams that told me that you must leave and follow your destiny elsewhere. The name Discord kept ringing through the darkness, but I didn't know who or what that was. I had mostly ignored these visions, dismissing the messages as nonsense. But then this happened. You said the name Discord a minute ago. You must know who that is. Now I know the dreams are no coincidence. We must heed them. Honeysuckle, each day you remain you will only become more estranged and miserable. Therefore you must leave immediately."

I didn't understand what Delilah Rose was trying to tell me. I had never seen Equestria beyond this little town of earth ponies. Where was I supposed to run? I clung to her hooves and trembled. She sighed and nestled her head against mine.

"It must be this way," she whispered, choking back tears, "You may not know why you must go, and neither do I. But you must. And you must go now, before the elder mare returns."

Delilah hurried me outside. We dashed through the town, averting gazes and passing unnoticed. We passed the various shops and market stands, slowed down trying to navigate through the bustle of the busiest time of day. Twenty minutes from the time we fled the sanctuary we stood at the edge of town. She knelled down and looked me in the eyes.

"Follow the road until you reach the next town. And whatever you do, don't come back until you've realized your destiny. Take this bag, it has some supplies to help you get started. Promise…promise to always smile and don't ever let your sunshine fade. Stay blooming forever, my dear sweet Honeysuckle."

I looked up at her, "Come with me?" I begged her. I didn't want to be alone. I couldn't do this. Why was she driving me away? "I promise nothing will turn to pink fluff again. Please…don't make me leave!"

I heard a familiar, infuriated voice hollering Delilah Rose's name.

"Oh, heavens," Delilah Rose says as she frantically hugs me one last time. "Run! Run Honeysuckle! And don't look back!" She bolts towards the direction of the voice. I hesitate for a moment, and then run. My bag bumped against my back with each leap. My surroundings were a green blur and the gusts of wind roared against my ears. I ran for what felt like an eternity. Even when I felt like I was too tired to go on, I pushed myself to hurry even faster. At one point I looked over my shoulder, and the town was nowhere to be seen. But still I persisted, running until everything went dark.

• .•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	7. Chapter 6

The filly had finally collapsed. She lay in the middle of the sandy, dirty road. The glow of the setting sun made her grey flank glow orange. Her chest heaved with every breath and her flank was dripping in sweat. Honeysuckle had pushed herself beyond exhaustion, and Discord knew she needed a better place to rest her tired limbs.

Discord scooped her up, holding her away at arms' length. The thought disgusted him, but he couldn't leave her there. The Equestrian nights were chilly, and the filly would freeze to death or get run over by a carriage before she woke up.

Discord owned to homes at the time. The first was his small private retreat in Chaosville, hidden away in an alternate dimension. He quickly dismissed the idea, for it was much too dangerous for anypony that wasn't a draconequus. The second was Chaos Manor, a luxurious mansion he had built on the edge of Equestria. Much less chaotic, but wonderfully whimsical nonetheless.

He teleported to Chaos Manor. It was nothing special when viewed from the outside. Tall, flat, and rectangular off-white stone structure save for windows that curved outwards in a cylinder-like shape.

Trying to keep Honeysuckle balanced in his arms, Discord reached into a pocket of space and withdrew a rose gold key engraved with the draconequus royal family crest. He unlocked the doors and let himself in. When he beheld the interior, he had forgotten how nostalgic the manor made him feel.

What he beheld was a visual representation of the regal philosophies of chaos magic. To the royal draconequus family, chaos was much more than colorful explosions, gravity twists, and conjuring randomizations. It was about channeling complicated forces of nature and setting them free. When one took the time to observe each induvial force's natural tendency towards chaos, one obtained a deeper understanding of the intertwined universe. The collective disorder is the true beauty.

In the golden days of the empire, these grand houses were forged by the greatest masters of chaos magic. A pure stream of chaos magic was used to awaken the natural rock beneath the site, freeing the earth to move according to their own will. The desires of the draconequus must be completely uninfluential, or else the structure will explode into a colorful mess. Thus the interior of the manor consisted only of warm glows of whites, golds, and browns, indicative of the purity of the forger's chaos. Using the same chaos application of wood, steal, and marble, a beautiful swirl of materials rose from the earth and intertwined. This process created large portions of the interior. Afterwards normal application of chaos magic minimally bends the natural creations into inhabitable rooms, staircases, and landings. Then the space is enclosed with simple, box-like walls. Finally, melted glass is allowed to seize the structure, often coating the ceilings and blooming open stained glass windows.

The finished product was breathtaking.

Polished white marble and detailed mosaic tiling composed the floorings. Everything down to the tiniest detail was adorned with beautiful swirls and organic curves. Stained glass ceilings and windows allowed natural sunlight to illuminate the home. Spiraling staircases linked spacious landings and rooms. Every aspect of the house was adorned with unique twists of materials, down to the tiniest details – even the door handles.

The pure chaos used to forge the manor also gave it a will of its own. Once you start wandering the stairways and corridors, the residence will morph when you aren't paying attention. No matter how many times you visit, the rooms will never be in the same place twice. Chaos will would tease intruders into madness.

Long ago Discord had constructed this residence to preserve the regal architecture of the empire and to test his master of chaos magic. However living there was too emotional.

[*note from Kikuna: my vision of Chaos Manor was inspired by art nouveua architecture and aesthetics, specifically the Hotel Tassel ~ I highly recommend looking it up because its beauty is difficult to capture with words*]

Discord let the stairwell guide him to the library. He created a large pink cushion and plopped the filly down, half hoping it would wake her up. The awkward nature of the silence was starting to irritate him.

Discord sat down by an asymmetrical fireplace and sipped from a 2-foot tall glass of chocolate milk Discord snapped his talon. Suddenly a black leather photography portfolio appeared in his lap. As he flipped through, he chuckled at his records of chaotic creations. His absolute favorites were the pranks he pulled on the royal alicorn family. When Discord reached the latest entry, when he pranked the bullies, he glanced in Honeysucke's direction.

Sighing and closing the portfolio, he decided to contemplate the elephant in the room.

There was no exact motive behind bringing Honeysuckle here. It certainly would have been much easier to drop her off at a doorstep in another town. Her new name would have been accepted, and she could forget all about meeting the lord of chaos.

He had indeed been watching from the shadows as Honeysuckle was interviewed by that horrid couple. However, Discord had not transformed the room into cotton candy. He was planning to follow Honeysuckle to her new home and mercilessly prank the so-called 'parents.' Just to see how much chaos they could withstand.

Discord took another slurp of his chocolate milk. Everyone present was an earth pony. Honeysuckle was panicking and her frustration exploded. Then the magic kicked in. But could he believe that this Earth pony was capable of magic? Impossible. No horn. Not even a cutie mark. Chuckling to himself, it reminded him of the sporadic behavior of an infant draconequus.

A draconequus. Discord's eyes widened and his heart seemed to stop for a second. He walked over to the sleeping filly. Hesitantly stretching out his paw as if about to touch something contaminated, he poked her face and observed her closely.

He struggled not to burst out laughing. A draconequus. How pathetic of a theory. There is nothing special about this pony. But then again…the magic had to have come from somewhere. Stroking his beard, Discord paced the room. After he had collected his thoughts he hovered above Honeysuckle.

What he observed in the sanctuary had to have been an outburst of chaos magic. As to why chaos is within this plain filly, Discord could not decide. She did not resemble a draconequus in any way, save for the absence of a cutie mark. But then again, that would surely appear in the near future.

Perhaps she was cursed. Possibly descendent from a draconequus, which was even less likely. What fool draconequus would fall in love with an earth pony? Perhaps a draconequus temporarily transferred their magic to her bloodline for safekeeping, but didn't survive to retrieve it. Hiding your magic is a cleaver way to throw someone off your path, but it would be impossible for the host pony to yield that chaos. Or is it?

He teleported back to Honeysuckle's side. Noticing that the flowers in her hair were gone, Discord pointed his paw towards the nearest window and cast some chaos magic. A honeysuckle vine spawned and bloomed before his eyes. With a flick of his wrist the vine twisted in on itself and formed a flower crown. Discord opened the window and picked up his creation. He proceeded to walk over to the resting filly and place it onto her tiny head.

It was a pathetic accessory, but it had made her happy. And for now, Honeysuckle needed to stay smiling to keep her chaos in check. Somehow, watching the filly sleep made the corners of his mouth twist into a smile. Again. Shaking off the feeling, he resolved that it didn't matter if her presence pleased him or not. In fact, the less influence she had on him, the better.

This little filly was an abomination, but Discord was going to make Honeysuckle his abomination. Draconequus or not, she had shown signs of possessing chaotic magic. Thus she must be raised in the ways of the draconequus race.

• .•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	8. Chapter 7

Princess Luna took off, soaring through the night sky. As she flew to the far corners of Equestria, she gathered her magic. She closed her eyes and felt along the surrounding space until her magic grasped a slice in space.

Luna dove through the magical barrier and into a chaos dimension. Flying through a storm of swirling colors, the alicorn kept her eyes peeled. At last she behold a floating island.

She gracefully landed and rustled her wings. Luna gazed up at the temple that towered above her. The massive white stone walls seemed to glow, shimmering with golden detailing. A copper dome studded with golden plates bloomed from the top, flanked by two short white towers topped with statues of Luna and Celestia.

[*note from Kikuna: the exterior of the temple was inspired by the Kirche am Steinhof in Vienna ~ of course with draconequus and alicorn imagery replacing Catholic symbolism*]

Luna used her magic to push open the heavy wooden doors. She beheld a white marble chamber. Every surface was covered with elaborate relief depicting the Draconequus Empire. Their wars, royal coronations, and draconequus mythology...right there. It was like a history book had been transformed into a single cohesive work of art.

The alicorn princess approached a massive spiraling staircase. As she climbed, her eyes were dazzled by the rainbow beams of light that danced on her flank and the room around her. The rising walls were covered in stained glass. Each panel depicted draconequus females that served Equestrian royalty as prophet. Each one was detailed with identifying features and presented with the most monumental cutie marks they had designed.

At last Princess Luna reached the top of the staircase. She was inside the temple's massive dome. The floor consisted of a dark polished stone that sparkling like a night sky. The massive columns holding the room's structure had been sculpted to resemble ancient draconequus deities. Thousands of black diamonds made up the details of these works of art, and all of their eyes looked towards the very center of the circular room. There, elegantly posed before a steaming pool of water that glowed a striking electric blue, was the prophet herself. Unlike most members of the draconequus race, she did not possess the signature asymetical horns. Instead, four blood red antlers sprouted from her brow. Her asymmetrical wings were relaxed against her back, and her fur and scales seemed to glow and sparkle from the reflection of the illuminated pool of water. On her brow, a black diamond marks that resembled scars stood out against her fair completion. Her wrists and ankles were ringed with similar markings. To a pony, this draconequus seemed just as bizarre and random as any other. But in the eyes of a draconequus, she was a breathtaking beauty.

The alicorn lowered her head in greeting. The prophet softly flew over the pool and in front of Princess Luna. The draconequus bowed deeply, humbling herself.

"Welcome, Princess Luna. Do you bring me news of unborn fillies?" the prophet's silky voice echoed through the hall.

The alicorn shook her head, "I do not. I wish to speak to you."

The draconequus waved her paw. Organic ribbons of gold bloomed from the floor and twisted itself into a luxurious throne.

"Then please be seated, I have a plethora of time to give you."

Princess Luna settled down and took a deep breath.

"I was hoping," Luna began, "that you could predict something for me."

"And what is that?" the prophet replied as she swirled her taloned claw through the water.

The alicorn bit her lip, almost ashamed to ask.

"Will anypony…ever appreciate my beautiful nights?"

Sighing, the draconequus spread her wings and settled closer to the pool, gazing into the waters. Princess Luna did not understand how exactly chaos magic works, but she knew not to disturb this moment of silence. At last the prophet met the alicorn's gaze.

"My dear princess," she began, "you know very well I cannot share your future. Nor anypony else's."

Princess Luna stood up, trying her hardest to suppress her frustration. Every time she asks the same question, and every time she receives the same answer.

"Please don't be angry with me. You know I cannot break my vow. Only through names and cutie marks may I share the future. If I revealed your fate, destiny would be sent into chaos and rewritten once again. It's a fragile harmony." A kind smile blooms on the prophet's face as she continues, "You are my only friend. If your destiny was heading towards demise, I would break my vows to rewrite the future. Every time you ask, I foresee your destiny and I reconfirm that you are heading along your proper course. Not everything will be pleasant. You will face many hardships and struggles. But it will only make you a stronger ruler."

Princess Luna sits back down, resting her face in her hooves.

The draconequus rested a paw on the princess's shoulder, "I also have something I desire to speak to you about. But not here…I need some fresh air. Let us walk together."

The prophet walked out the door and towards the entrance of the temple. Princess Luna followed close behind. The alicorn always admired the prophet's graceful movements.

"For far too long I have carried on this duty. My mind has grown weary…and I wish to pass into the afterlife. I have labored here far longer than any prophet before me. The days I will spend here are numbered. My dear princess, do not let your face wilt into sadness like that. I do not wish to leave you behind. But my fate is part of a cycle, an honor that must be passed on eventually."

"But how can you leave us?" Princess Luna protested, "There is no one to replace you. If you leave, no one will be able to carry on your chaos magic practice. Not a trace of the draconequus race remains in Equestria. And without you, fillies would cease to have cutie marks. Our one guiding light towards the future, extinguished forever. Besides…you're my friend. I don't want to lose you."

The beautiful draconequus turned to the alicorn and smiled.

"You are mistaken. Traces of my race have survived and are very much alive. In fact, there is indeed someone destined to replace me. Fear not my child, there is hope. If you have time to listen, I have much to share with you."

Princess Luna settled down, side by side with the prophet, ready to listen.

• .•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	9. Chapter 8

"As you know, Princess Luna, there was a time when Equestria was composed of three independent, feuding nations: that of the pegasus, the unicorn, and the earth pony. The alicorns who came before you struggled to maintain natural harmony. Removed from social influence, they were powerless in their attempts to bring the three pony races together.

Nearby was the powerful Draconequus Empire. There, chaotic magic could be practiced freely. The alicorns often sought refuge in the Draconequus Empire. During this era, cutie marks ceased to be a natural, random phenomenon. Instead, the alicorns summoned a powerful draconequus to serve as the first prophet. Through the power and foresight of this draconequus, the alicorns could deliver harmony to the future. Fate was carefully adjusted, little by little, so that the three feuding nations may one day peacefully come together. At last, the stage was set for Heart's Warming Eve. Equestria was born.

Equestria and the Draconequus Empire were close allies for thousands of years. Every couple hundred years, a new draconequus was bestowed the honor of prophet.

One tragic day, political power struggles lead to the collapse of the empire. Draconequus families scattered throughout the land, some taking refuge in Equestria. However chaos failed to coexist alongside ponies, the friendship between pony and draconequus shattered. Driven from the lands of Equestria, our race quickly perished.

Desperate to preserve the prophets, the alicorns created a grand temple hidden between dimensions. Survivors were gathered and protected. Over time, the number of refugees capable of assuming the title of prophet dwindled. Desperate, the alicorns cast a powerful spell that gave eternal life to the last draconequus in the temple.

And with that, my lonely existence as prophet began. Since then I have served the alicorns of equestrian with the intention of remaining forever.

But recently I have discovered that at last the cycle of passing down the title of prophet may begin once again.

One draconequus from the empire lives to this day. In fact, he resides in Equestria. When the monarchy was overthrown, the king and queen bestowed all their chaotic magic upon the eldest prince, providing immortal protection. With this enormous power, Lord Discord escaped and has hidden in the shadows of Equestria ever since. His chaos magic is great, and over time has learned to control it.

But Lord Discord cannot ascend to the title of prophet. He will not be satisfied with isolation in this temple for long. He demonstrates mastery of chaos, but the traumatic events of his past make him emotionally unpredictable. Like me, he will grow weary of immortality in a place like this. He must remain in Equestria, a playful outlet of his chaotic magic.

He is destined to become the master and instructor of future prophets.

As it happens, one other source of draconequus magic survives. A powerful warrior escaped the collapse of the empire and spent countless years wandering through Equestria. Depressed with loneliness and the suppression of his chaotic magic, he was on the verge of suicide.

One day, the lost warrior fell deeply in love with an earth pony. Although his affection was not returned, he vowed to protect her forever. Eventually, the day came when this earth pony married and became pregnant with her first child. Jealous, the draconequus stormed away. Unable to break his vow, he reluctantly watched over the earth pony from afar. Observing her happiness in the embrace of her husband reopened the wounds in the draconequus's heart over and over again.

Sickness overcame the earth pony during the pregnancy. Both the mother and unborn filly's lives were endangered. The draconequus emerged from the shadows and gave the earth pony his entire life force. The mother and filly were saved, and the draconequus peacefully died in her arms.

As she watched the light leave the eyes of her closest friend, the earth pony tragically realized that all along she indeed loved the draconequus back. Sickened by her mistakes, the mare lost her mind. After giving birth, she rejected the filly. Despite her husband's pleads, the earth pony refused to be in the presence of their daughter. Unable to care for both an infant and an unstable wife, the colt had to make a hard decision. Reluctantly, he delivered his daughter to the doorstep of the Equestrian orphanage.

That filly possesses the chaotic power of the draconequus warrior. And she is destined to become the next prophet."

• .•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	10. Chapter 9

Discord burst into my room, leading an orchestra of pots and pans banging themselves and creating a storm of obnoxious racket. I covered my ears with my pillow and stuck my tongue out at him. He always did this when I slept in.

"DISCORD!" I cried out as loud as I can. "Knock it off! I'm up!" I threw off the covers and leapt from my bed. As soon as my hoof touched the floor, Discord snapped his fingers and the room was peaceful once again.

Throwing Discord an annoyed look, I sluggishly walked over to my vanity and started to detangle my puffy mane. At last Discord left, laughing to himself. Momentarily I could hear him preparing breakfast.

It had been at least two years since Discord took me in. The first bit of time I spent here, the lord of chaos constantly had me on a wild goose chase to complete ridiculous chores. Once he had me polish thousands of silver spoons utensils (which were enchanted and had a bad habit of morphing into snakes). Another time he sent me on a two week excursion deep into a forest to retrieve a certain flower (which was like locating a needle in a haystack, I was nearly killed by tinderwolves). Soon I realized he was merely tricking me for amusement.

I quickly grew out of my naïve, crybaby nature. I suppose Discord's tricks and teasing had toughened me up. He was like an obnoxious big brother. But then again…unlike when I lived in the orphanage, there was nothing to cry about. Although many times Discord had threatened to kick me out or 'worse,' I knew that deep down he liked having me around.

But what Discord didn't know, is that I had a secret weapon and was preparing to tease him back for once. After that rude awakening, I decided that it was a good time for a bit of payback.

I trotted into the grand hall of the manner. Discord sat at a long table, where a massive mountain of pancakes awaited me.

"Good morning Honeysuckle," Discord exclaimed as he floated a teacup down to my end of the table. I took a sip of the tea and smiled. Lots of sugar, just the way I like it.

I dumped some strawberries onto a stack of pancakes and dove in. My late-night chaos practice had worn me out so much, and I was starving. Between bites and sips of tea, I updated my chaos master about my 'progress.'

"I try over and over again, and I can't seem to conjure anything else! It's so infuriating."

Discord spread some wasabi paste onto his pancakes. He chuckled, "did you try standing on your head for a few minutes?"

"Master, I don't fall for those tricks anymore. Your so-called tips are going to make me break a hoof someday. Or worse. Do you remember what happened when you had me dig through your gumball pit for some healthy 'light' exercise?"

"Well it's not my fault you didn't think to just fly up when you started getting tired."

"If you were the one drowning in gumballs, you could have flown up. I can't. Not yet anyway."

Discord chuckled, "still searching, I assume?"

I rolled my eyes, "I'm working on it, Master."

"Well when you do, I will assemble your wings. Then you won't have to worry the next time you fall into my delightful gumball pool."

Discord had promised me that he would use his chaos magic to make me wings. But first I would have to bring him one hundred feathers, two from fifty different species of winged creatures. It was the most tedious task he had ever assigned me, but the reward will hopefully be worth it. I had spent hours in my bedroom drawing winged ponies. One day Discord had discovered the stash of doodles, and asked me if I wished to be a pegasus.

The draconequus sunk back in his chair and rested his feet up on the table.

"I hope you have plans for today," he began, "because I'm going on a trip today. You're on your own."

I giggled. How perfect for him to bring the topic up himself. I leaned forward and rested my chin on my hooves, narrowing my eyes mischievously as I stare my master down.

"Visiting your special somepony again, I assume?"

Discord's eyes widened in shock and he flipped the table. Next thing I knew he was towering over me, his eyes burning with so much rage it looked like it could fry holes into my soul.

"What do you know?!" he demanded.

I chuckle and trot away from him.

"Well you always go on day trips that I am forbidden to go along. So naturally I thought to follow you all the way to the Equestrian palace. And I watched you hide and stare at a beautiful pony. Or should I say…an alicorn? A princess, perhaps? The first time I followed you her hair was soft pink and her flank was snow white. But much later, I followed you again. And this time her hair was a rainbow of pretty pastels that shimmered in the sunlight. And even more surprising was that now you two seemed to be well acquainted."

I looked over my shoulder and saw Discord's face burning red with embarrassment. He noticed I was staring back at him. Instantly he assumed an annoyed, pouty stance.

He cleared his throat before speaking as calmly as he could, "Er, yes. I am…acquainted…with Princess Celestia."

I giggled and retrieved my shattered teacup from the floor. I signaled to Discord and he repairs it in a flash. I refill it with tea and start loading up the sugar. When I opened my mouth to speak again, Discord snarled a warning. I decided that it would be wise to let the topic drop. But I was still curious if there was anything romantic between him and the alicorn.

The draconequus stalked up to his private wing of the manner, leaving me to deal with the mess his hissy fit had made.

I took a deep breath and tried to reach into my chaos magic. I closed my eyes and let the magic explode in the room. Even before I reopened them, I knew I had once again messed up.

The entire room was covered with fluffy puffs of cotton candy. I pawed at the ground furiously and face-planted into one of the clouds. Discord told me every day that I had immense chaotic power to master, but so far all I had ever accomplish involved cotton candy. Usually making a huge mess for Discord to clean up.

I remembered that I should probably clean up the garden from last night's practice before the draconequus noticed.

Suddenly I felt droplets falling down on my mane. I look up and brown rain was falling down from the cotton candy-coating ceiling. I licked my hoof and realized that it's chocolate.

I'm startled by Discord's booming laughter. "So you've managed to merge my favorite food with your own. For over two years of practice without progress I suppose it's a bit of an accomplishment. You can make chocolate rain fall down from cotton candy clouds. Cute. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a rendez-vous to attend." And with that he teleported from Chaos Manner.

I flopped over and stared up at the sugary rain clouds I made. I smiled. Indeed…it was some sort of an accomplishment. I closed my eyes and pulled the chaos back into my soul. When I reopened my eyes, the room was restored to normal. I giggled in delight, imagining how pleased my chaos master will be when I tell him I've finally managed to reverse my chaos spells.

So far it was a great morning.

I walk over to the nearest mirror and looked at myself. I couldn't stop my tears from spilling over. My cutie mark still had failed to appear. I may have felt as if I had grown up and changed in two years...I was still a tiny filly.

I went back to my room and opened the chest that held the feathers I had gathered and the drawings that depicted my daydreams of flight. I was almost halfway done. I wanted to have wings will all my heart. Because maybe, just maybe, if I had a pair of beautiful wings I could conceal my blank flank. Then for once in my life, I might be somepony worthy of Discord's time.

• .•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	11. Chapter 10

Luna awoke and wearily peaked around the curtains. It was still bright as day. She had a ton of time left before bringing out the moon.

The princess plopped her head back down on her pillow, but her mind was racing with so many thoughts and worries she couldn't fall back asleep.

She had yet to speak with Celestia about the…situation…with the prophet. The draconequus was Luna's duty, but inevitably she needed to ask for help.

Luna rolled out of bed and left her private quarters. She searched the palace for traces of her sister, and was advised by a royal guard to search the garden.

At last Luna spotted her sister on a marble bench near the large Japanese magnolia tree. Which, for some reason, was in full bloom. Naturally they only bloom at the end of winter, but it was in the middle of summer. Trotting closer, Luna realized that Celestia was talking to someone. But whoever it was, they were hidden in the dark shadow of the tree.

As Luna drew closer, she cleared her throat to announce her presence. Celestia was startled but quickly recovered. She waved Luna over with a huge smile.

"Luna!" she happily called, "I'm so happy you decided to visit me. I'd like you to meet my friend."

Celestia's friend was sitting beneath the tree. When Luna's eyes feel upon him, her heart stopped. She started to back away, not believing her eyes.

It was the draconequus the prophet had spoken of. The lost prince of the fallen empire. The lord of chaos himself: Discord.

Her sister immediately sensed something was wrong.

"Luna? What's the matter? Please say something."

"D…Discord?" Luna stuttered, convinced she was dreaming.

"My goodness! Celestia must have told you horrid things about me," the humored draconequus said, now turning to the seated alicorn "My friend, what have you done to my reputation? She looks like she's terrified at the sight of me."

Celestia stands up and hastily walks to her sister, the alicorn's eyes alarmed by Luna's reaction.

She glances back at Discord.

"Forgive me, Discord, but I have something of utmost importance to address. I'm afraid we will have to save introductions for another day."

But Luna couldn't look away from Discord's face. His presence enraged her. If he is here…then who is protecting the filly? The words of the prophet were flashing through Luna's mind: 'So many evil creatures in Equestria would gladly slaughter the filly to eliminate the threat of chaotic power. It can be sensed miles away. Until she has complete control and is able to defend herself, the filly cannot be left alone for a minute. I may be able to see into her future, but when chaos magic is the mix, the slightest flap of a butterfly's wings can rewrite destiny.'

Celestia gently nudged Luna, signaling that they should make their departure. The night alicorn stalked towards the draconequus.

"Where is the filly?"

Discord looked at her nonchalantly.

"I haven't the slightest idea who you are referring to," he said. "What filly do you speak of?"

Luna hoofed the ground angrily. This creature was vile and despicable.

"You know very well who I speak of. How dare you assume responsibility of a filly and then go carousing around like a bachelor! I am warning you: if you cannot properly protect and raise that filly I will do it for you!"

Discord stood up abruptly and approached Luna, leaning down so that they were face to face.

"Of what importance is she to you?" he growled. Luna was frightened, but she didn't let any evidence leak through. She stood strong and maintained her glare.

"That is none of your business," Luna said icily. The prophet had warned her not to share any information with Discord. For now.

The draconequus laughed, "That pathetic look on your face! It's as if you actually believe that you could take her away even if you wanted to." Discord slithered over to Celestia and draped an arm around her.

"Celestia considers me her _friend_. Why, we've been practically besties for years now. Why don't we all take a deep breath and start over. Won't you give me a chance?" Uncomfortable with the situation and the mocking tone of Discord's voice, the sun alicorn bit her lip and shrank away from his gesture.

It was taking all of Luna's restraint not to spit in his face.

Suddenly Luna felt a spark of strange magic strike her horn. It was chaos magic, a signal from the prophet. This could only mean one thing: fate had been twisted and the filly was in danger.

Luna spread her wings and reared back on her hind hooves. She pivoted and took off running. The alicorn's wings caught the wind and lifted her into the air. The princess flew as quickly as she could, guided by the chaos magic.

She didn't trust Discord. Nor her sister for hiding this friendship with the draconequus for so long. Luna was resolved to take matters into her own hooves. Permanently if need be.

.•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•.


	12. Chapter 11

I gazed upward at the nest, high up in a tree. Finding phoenix feathers was a lot easier than other winged creatures I've had to track down.

A flutter of wings told me that the phoenixes were home.

I cleared my throat, "excuse me? Mr. Phoenix? Or Mrs. Phoenix? I'm not sure who lives here…"

I heard another ruffling of feathers and suddenly a bright red-orange bird fluttered to the edge of the nest, peering down at me. They naturally had a pretty mean-looking glare. But when I read about these birds in Discord's library, I learned that they won't be angry with me as long as I don't approach the nest when there's hatchlings.

I nervously shuffle my hooves, trying to formulate my words.

"I was wondering if any feathers have fallen from your wings recently in the nest. I need two phoenix feathers. But of course…well…I mean…if it's not too much trouble to spare them. I can always come back later or find another phoenix family…"

The phoenix chirped playfully, as if to tell me to relax. I instantly bit my lip and looked up at the bird hopefully. It disappeared for a second, then in a flash of warm colors it flew down to me. It perched on a tree branch that was right above my head. Clenched in its talon were two long red wing feathers that shimmered in the sunshine.

The phoenix tilted its head and looked at me questioningly.

"Oh? You see…my magic instructor knows how to turn me into a pegasus. But first I need to gather a ton of different magical feathers."

The phoenix seemed pleased to hear this.

I carefully placed the feathers in my satchel and bid the phoenix a good day. It bowed to acknowledge me and flew up into the sky. I watched it soar, envious of its beautiful wings.

I sat down on the forest floor and opened up a large map I 'borrowed' from Discord. The day was still young, so I resolved to visit one more spot before I headed back to Chaos Manor.

Slinging my bag on, I puffed out my chest and started along the path. I walked until I got a little tired and decided to pause by a freshwater pond. I had a drink and conjured a bit of cotton candy to snack on. I dipped my hooves into the water and squealed at how cold it was.

As I sat there, the forest became eerily quiet. It was as if all the little birdies and critters had vanished.

Uncomfortable with the silence, I gathered my belongings and scurried off. But the quiet followed me. With each step I became increasingly uneasy and frightened.

A loud rustle in the bushes made me jump. When I heard a deep growl, I instantly took off running as fast as I could. I heard loud, pounding footsteps following me. I pushed myself to run faster, tears streaming down my face. But the sounds of growls and running were gaining on me, becoming louder and closer. I tried to use my chaos magic, but as I tried I failed to notice the sharp turn of the path. I charged right into the thick woods.

I kept running, thorns and branches scratching my flank to shreds. Suddenly I hit a dead end: a towering rock cliff blocked my escape. As I tried to decide whether to run left or right, I realized the growls were right behind me. My heart stopped and my my legs stiffened up.

Trembling, I turned my head and found myself confronted by a Chimera. Its tiger head was snarling and its fangs dripped with saliva. Over its shoulder, a goat head chuckled at my helplessness. Hovering above their heads, a snake hissed and flashed its tongue.

My eyes were locked onto the monster, too frightened to move.

"Discord!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. But I already knew that Discord was too far away to hear me. Too far to save me.

.•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	13. Chapter 12

Discord sneezed so loudly all the birds in the royal garden were spooked into flight.

"Bless you," Celestia said sweetly, handing him a handkerchief. The draconequus gratefully accepted it and wiped his muzzle.

"Princess…I hope you can forgive me for the way I acted. I still think your sister started it. Her pugnacious attitude would have started a row with anypony. However, it pained me to see you so upset. So what can I do to make this up to you?"

The white alicorn took a sip of tea, deep in thought. Celestia's regal air was irresistible. Finally she set the cup down with a soft clank and took a deep breath.

"Could you, perhaps," she began, "explain to me what filly the two of you were so riled up about? I don't like being out of the loop."

Discord, not sure where to begin, stared off into the distance. He noticed an elegant white archway marking the entrance to the royal garden. He snapped his finger and vines sprouted from the ground. They entwined themselves with the archway and soon it was covered in yellow and white flowers.

Celestia tilted her head questioningly.

"Honeysuckle vines?" she asked.

The draconequus nodded.

"The filly Princess Luna and I were talking about. Her name is Honeysuckle. I met her in the little town in the southeastern portion of Equestria. The Equestrian Orphanage is there. That's where she was raised."

"The orphanage? Or just the town?" Celestia asked.

Discord fidgeted with the handkerchief as he spoke. Celestia was not accustomed to her friend speaking so seriously. "The orphanage."

They sat in silence for a little while. At last Discord continued.

"Honeysuckle was teased frequently, from what I could tell. Partially for the fact she didn't have a cutie mark. Partially because she had neither a name nor a real family. Long story short, an adoption interview went terribly wrong and the filly ran away. Since then she's been in my care."

"How long has she lived in Chaos Manor?" the princess asked.

"Two years, three months, one week, and six days."

"You're leaving something out. I can tell."

"You're right, and a certain number of hours and minutes. But I don't know that off the top of my head. I'm not that ridiculous."

Celestia stood up and gracefully walked to the honeysuckle vines. She used her magic to pick a small bundle. She levitated it over to Discord, who carefully cradled the flowers in his palms.

"She's very special to you, I can tell. Whether you realize it or not, her presence has made your life a lot brighter. But my sister somehow also knows about this filly. Luna was very…fervent…about Honeysuckle's protection. Surely you have some idea why?"

Discord opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly two members of the royal guard charged to Princess Celestia. Out of breath, they informed her that Luna had returned and Celestia's presence was needed immediately.

Without a word Celestia spread her wings and flew at full speed towards the night princess's private tower.

Discord began to follow her, but slammed into a magical barrier. He looked down and found those two pesky guards were the source.

"Princess Luna had demanded that you are not to be permitted to enter the castle. Even at the cost of our lives, we will not let you in."

"Fine, fine," the draconequus said, "I'll let the princesses have their girlie time. I'll take the hint." And with that he teleported back to Chaos Manor.

He could have easily gotten past the barrier. However, Discord resolved to spend the rest of the day with Honeysuckle. After all, she had made considerable progress recently. At last they could begin real chaos training.

"Honeysuckle! The Lord of Chaos has returned!" he announced, his voice echoing down the endless halls.

But there was no answer. He searched every room and there was no sign of her.

"No big deal," Discord mumbled to himself as he straightened Honeysuckle's bed and tilted her lamp shade crooked. "She's always out tracking down magical feathers. But she's always back before sundown.

Discord sat down and calmly flipped through an old book that came from the library of the Draconequus Empire. Probably the last copy in existence. It discussed training methods and various drills for honing youthful chaos power. Might as well prepare for his little apprentice's training.

After a while Discord decided to stretch his legs. As he sipped a cup of chocolate milk he nonchalantly looked out the window.

The blood drained from his face.

It was pitch black outside. Honeysuckle had always returned home by sunset. Which meant…

Discord dropped the glass and stumbled back, in shock. The shattered glass cut his feet, but he didn't care. His heart was racing. For the first time in hundreds of years, genuine fear gripped his heart.

.•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	14. Chapter 13

Celestia landed on the main balcony of Luna's room. She tapped on the door and Luna's dark blue magic threw the entrance open. Instantly the night princess dragged her sister inside and bolted the doors behind them.

Luna was sobbing.

"I…I almost didn't make it in time," Luna stuttered, "Oh Celestia…please. She's dying. Please! I beg of you. Help me heal her. I'm struggling to focus my magic properly."

"Luna…What's going on?" Celestia cried, embracing her trembling sister.

Luna hastily walked over to the bed and pulled aside the dark blue canopy. Laying on the bed was a tiny grey filly curled up in a ball and whimpering in pain. Her body was covered in deep bloody gashes. Her mane and tale were caked with so much dirt and blood that it was impossible to distinguish the original color.

If it wasn't for the subtle movement of the chest as she breathed, Celestia would have believed the filly was dead.

The sight made the sun princess dizzy, but she pulled herself together and immediately called for a guard. She asked them to call for the royal nurses as quickly as possible with medical supplies.

Celestia then turned her full attention to the filly. She wanted to ask Luna questions, but now was not the time. The alicorn focused her magic and cast a powerful life support spell. This would buy them time to gather the nurses.

Exhausted by that spell, Celestia sat down on the bed. She didn't allow her eyes to look away from the filly. Luna's hooves struck the wooden floor as she paced back and forth, echoing in the quiet bedroom.

At last the doors burst open and three unicorns rushed in. They gasped at the sight of the dying filly. Immediately Celestia rose to her hooves and started giving orders. Soon she had the unicorns carefully casting healing spells.

Celestia decided that hovering would distract the nurses, so she decided to approach Luna. The poor alicorn was on the verge of a meltdown.

The two princesses vacated the room and conversed quietly in the hallway.

Luna spoke first, "It was a chimera."

Celestia embraced her sister, "And the filly…is she?"

The night princess nodded. "She's the filly we spoke of earlier."

After a long time Luna calmed down and was able to recollect her composure. Soon they were both pacing up and down the hall, anxious to hear back from the nurses.

The sun princess tapped her sister on the shoulder. "Let us stroll around the castle. I think it's time to share with me why this filly is so important to you. And to Discord."

And so Luna retold everything to her sister. Not long after she finished, a royal guard rushed up to the princesses.

"Your highnesses," he bowed as he spoke, "It's Discord. He's come back and…he keeps demanding that we hand over someone named Honeysuckle. He already broke the barrier and he's threatening to destroy the castle."

Celestia's jaw dropped. "That…doesn't sound like Discord. He usually is so good humored."

Luna dismissed the guard and turned to her sister. "You go to Discord and try to talk some sense into him. Calm him down. I'm going to go back to my bedroom as quickly as I can and check on the filly."

"And if the worst happens? If Discord won't listen to me and tries to take her back by force?"

Luna starts to run and calls to Celestia over her shoulder, "then we'll do what we have to!"

.•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	15. Chapter 14

Luna almost collided with one of the nurses as she was charging down a corridor.

"She's out of danger, Princess," she began, "Our magic managed to clot the bleeding and close the wounds. She's currently in the care of the spa mares. They're gingerly cleaning her off. The poor thing passed out long ago."

Luna led the way towards the spa wing. "How long do you predict she will be unconscious?"

The nurse shook her head dismally. "It's hard to say…it could be an hour. It could be several days. We had to use an excessive amount of magic, which is very stressful on such a fragile body like hers. Which reminds me, what is the filly's name?"

Luna paused at the door to the spa wing and frowned, "As far as I know…she doesn't have one."

The alicorn's magic opened the doors and she anxiously trotted in. About six pastel-colored earth pony mares were tenderly cleaning and pampering the unconscious filly.

The princess hurried over to the head of the spa, "You must cut this short. We need to move her back to my chambers so that she can be properly protected."

The mare flinched, "What? Who do we need to protect her from?"

Luna bit her lip, "Discord."

The spa ponies attending to Honeysuckle gasped.

"Princess!" one of them called out in a hushed tone, "She's waking up!"

Luna leapt over and gently pushed the spa ponies aside. The filly opened her eyes slowly and started looking around. The princess couldn't help but wonder if the faint sound of Discord's name contributed to her awakening.

"Where…where is Discord?" she whimpered, trying to sit up. Now with all the blood and dirt gone, Luna realized just how pretty the filly was. Her flank was a silky grey and her mane was a fluffy mix of milky white and yellow. Her light blue eyes sparkled like crystal clear water.

The filly rose to her hooves and looked up at Luna expectedly. In her eyes the princess saw endless gratitude. Perhaps the filly recognized the alicorn as the one who fought off the monster.

Luna smiled and embraced her. "I'm not sure, my child. You must be cautious, for you are weak from trauma. You could get hurt again. Just for a little while longer, you need to stay here under my protection. Come." Luna guided the reluctant filly out of the room, but it wasn't long before the poor thing lost her energy and drooped against the alicorn.

The night princess kneeled and coaxed the filly onto her back. She carried her to the royal bedroom and laid her down on the bed. Luna turned to make her leave, but the filly reached out a hoof and clinged to the alicorn's tail.

Luna looked over her shoulder, heartbroken to see such loneliness in those blue eyes.

"Would you like me to stay?"

She nodded.

Luna climbed onto the bed and allowed the young mare to snuggle against her. She smiled at looked up at the princess.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"I am Luna, princess of the night." A smile bloomed on the filly's face.

"I'm Honeysuckle!" she replied proudly. Luna's heart skipped a beat. This filly wasn't nameless like the prophet claimed.

"You have pretty wings," Honeysuckle continued. The alicorn bowed her head and thanked her for the compliment.

Luna's mind started to drift off as the filly began chattering about a feather collection. It seemed like forever since Celestia went off to confront Discord. No sign from either of them…was that good or bad? The alicorn sisters were powerful, but that couldn't stand against the entirety of Discord's royal chaos power for long. If he turned against them, all of Equestria would be in danger.

Honeysuckle hopped off the bed and started exploring the large bedroom. Luna was unaccustomed to filly-sitting, so she hardly knew what to do. Noticing the filly's full attention was directed at a book she pulled from a shelf, the alicorn rose to her hooves and walked out to the balcony. She listened and looked for any signs of Celestia or Discord, but to no avail.

"Luna! Luna! Look at this!" Honeysuckle said. The princess looked down and saw that Honeysuckle was holding up the book. It was opened to a page about the Draconequus Empire.

Luna kneels and levitates the book between them. Honeysuckle points to an illustration of a draconequus.

"The picture looks just like Master Discord," she began. "He's teaching me magic! I'm just an earth pony, but he taught me how to do cool stuff. Like make cotton candy! His chaos magic is so much fun! One time, I skinned my knee running, and to make me feel better he conjured a _giant_ ice cream sunday. Like…as big as this castle. No…bigger than a mountain! But I had a tummy ache when it was all over…and I needed a bath." She giggled and continued chattering.

Luna was taken aback. How could so much sunshine radiate from a filly of such a tragic childhood? Despite all the isolation and mockery of the past, her happiness seemed boundless. Could it be that Discord had truly made her so happy? Had the princess misjudged the draconequus's ability to take care of a filly?

Suddenly a deafening roar erupted, making the castle walls tremble. Honeysuckle's ears perked up and she anxiously looked around, recognizing the sound.

"It's Discord!" she cried in delight.

"Oh sweet Celestia…It's Discord," Luna exclaimed in dismay as she coaxed the filly back inside, latching the doors behind them. The alicorn frantically called for the royal guard. Honeysuckle tugged at Luna's tail.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to meet Discord?" Honeysuckle looked as though she was on the verge of tears.

Luna struggled to find the right words.

"Honeysuckle…you see…Discord…he doesn't understand that I'm trying to protect you. I think you being here has angered him. And I'm afraid you might get hurt again. You must promise me to stay on my side. Do not speak to or approach Discord until I tell you it's safe. Please Honeysuckle, can you do that for me?"

The filly nodded, miserable and heartbroken. The situation painfully tugged at Luna's heartstrings. The alicorn lowered her head and affectionately embraced Honeysuckle.

It was at that moment the glass windows exploded and a raging Discord stormed into the room.

.•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	16. Chapter 15

I shielded my eyes from the blast, clinging to Princess Luna the way I used to cling to Delilah Rose.

A familiar snarl made my ear perk up. Frightened, I slowly opened my eyes and beheld an enraged draconequus. It was my master…but…

Luna raised her head confidently and slammed her hoof down. "Stand down, Discord."

He clenched a claw and sneered, "I will as soon as you hand her over."

I wanted to take off running towards Discord and go home, but at the same time I wanted to stay with Princess Luna. I took a nervous step forward. The alicorn hastily blocked my path. Discord's eyes burned with hatred.

"She isn't your pet," he snarled.

"She isn't yours either!" Princess Luna screamed, losing self-control. "If I hadn't interfered, Honeysuckle would be dead!"

That caught Discord's attention.

Princess Luna continued, "You allowed her to wander into enemy territory. It was a free-for-all! Inevitably she was targeted by a monster who wanted to devour her flesh in the hopes of eliminating the threat of chaos magic. Be warned: Honeysuckle will continue to be hunted for the rest of her life. Change your ways or she won't survive."

Discord said nothing.

"It's hard to train a dead apprentice," Princess Luna snarled.

The draconequus chuckled and slithered a bit closer to them.

"Well perhaps I trusted Honeysuckle with too much freedom too soon. I suppose I…overestimated…her power."

My heart stung at those words. I had disappointed my chaos master? I wasn't as strong as he hoped?

"On the contrary, you underestimate her power." The alicorn crouched and aimed her horn at Discord. "Her power is almost as boundless as your own. You ignorantly overlook the fragile nature of the chaos's vessel. You're reckless and proud."

The draconequus roared and I could sense him gathering an enormous amount of chaos magic, preparing a brutal attack. At the same time Princess Luna's horn began to spark and glow dark blue.

Instantly I darted around the alicon and scurried between them.

"STOP IT!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. There was an explosion of white light and suddenly my energy drained. I sank to the floor, gasping for breath.

"Honeysuckle?" I looked up and found Discord at eye level with me. His face was pained with worry. Hesitantly my master reached out his lion paw. I leapt into his arms and the draconequus embraced me tightly.

"Forgive me…please…forgive me Honeysuckle," he whispered. To this day, I'm convinced he cried.

Princess Luna cleared her throat angrily. "Let me make this clear," she said, "The filly shall remain in your care for the time being. I expect you to protect Honeysuckle with your life. If she falls victim to another attacker, I will not hesitate to permanently remove and raise her myself."

Discord growled, "I'd like to see you try to take her away from me. As far as I'm concerned you'll never see her again!"

The alicorn narrowed her eyes and glared at the draconequus.

"I _will_ see her again. One way or another, I will take her away from you. Honeysuckle's destiny is set in stone, and it is not with you."

"That's odd…because the last time I checked alicorn magic was powerless against chaos. You have no backing to this blabber about Honeysuckle's destiny." Discord laughed confidently, but I could feel his hold tighten.

Luna blasted magic at the floor where Discord was standing. The draconequus leapt into the air to dodge.

"Do not underestimate us," Luna snarled.

Discord smiled and ruffled my mane.

"Extend my apologies to Princess Celestia. I'm afraid our parting was rather…heated. She should not expect me to disturb the royal peace again. We will take our leave. Farewell."

And with that, he zapped me back to Chaos Manor.

That was the last time I saw Luna for many years.

.•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	17. Chapter 16

Discord gently released me from his arms. As I hopped down I conjured a cotton candy cloud to land on. I looked up at Discord, expecting his usual smile. But instead, I only saw misery.

"Master?"

The draconequus stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I immediately charged after him through the labyrinth of twisting staircases and swirling rooms until I finally reached the sealed entrance to Discord's private wing.

I closed my eyes and focused. Discord was surely in here, I could feel the presence of his boiling chaos magic.

For several minutes I paced back and forth in front of the giant doors. Eventually I gathered the courage to knock on the door.

No answer.

My attempt to open the door myself was an utter failure. Discord had purposely made this door too heavy for me to open by hoof. I didn't even bother using chaos magic against it.

I sighed and gave up. For the time being.

I wandered around aimlessly and eventually found myself in the library. After loading up a cart with chaos magic books, I retreated to my bedroom.

In one of the books I found a detailed lesson about teleportation chaos magic. It involved using chaos magic to temporarily squish space. Somewhat like a wormhole. It becomes increasingly difficult depending on the distance between yourself and where you're trying to go. But like all chaos tricks, practice fuels power.

My thoughts wandered back to Discord's door. Just going from one side of the door to the other…that's not far at all.

Excited, I ran back to the library and pulled every book I could find that had anything to do with teleportation chaos.

Hours turned into days…days turned into weeks…and Discord never emerged from his private wing. Often I pleaded at the door, but received no response.

When I tried to go outside I discovered every single door was bolted with powerful chaos shields. So I played in the greenhouse for daily sunshine and spent the majority of my free time in the library practicing chaos. I was determined to learn how to teleport, convinced it was the only way I would be able to reach Discord.

.•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	18. Chapter 17

"…and then Discord took Honeysuckle back to Chaos Manor. She hasn't emerged since," Princess Luna finished.

The prophet sighed and gracefully raked her talon through the glowing water.

"I was afraid of this. He has become highly protective, like a dragon hording treasure. When the time comes Discord will not give her up without a fight. The danger is immense…not just you but for all of Equestria."

"What do you suggest?"

"As the filly grows and her chaos power matures, marks of the prophet will emerge." The draconequus gestures to the diamond-shaped mark on her forehead and the embellishments circling her wrists and ankles. "Discord will recognize the meaning of these marks. He _will_ panic. And when he panics he will be vulnerable. This will be your only window to remove her from Discord. He will be unable to act rationally, and she will be too shaken to resist. Therefore, we must manipulate this moment so that Honeysuckle has as much training as possible."

"And how will I accomplish that?"

The prophet smiled so deviously it frightened the alicorn." Through her dreams, you must ensue fear towards these marks. Convince her to conceal them as they begin to appear. As her power grows, these marks will darken. At some point they will be impossible to conceal. At this moment, I believe she will be more than strong enough to be brought here."

"So you're telling me to give her nightmares?"

"Precisely."

"I refuse to obey this ridiculous command!" Luna protested, "It is taboo for a night princess to curse anypony with nightmares. It sickens me to imagine putting a filly through that kind of torture."

"If you have an alternative plan, you're more than welcome to implement it."

They sat in silence, the alicorn unable to come up with another way. Luna sat down, exhausted by stress and desperate to change the topic. "What happens once she's brought here?"

"I will proceed to redirect her abilities and eventually pass on the title of prophet. I suspect she will grow the symbolic horns of a draconequus prophet, but that's just a theory."

The prophet's horns indeed set this draconequus apart from the rest of the race. In lei of the asymmetrical duo all others are born with, she proudly carried four red horns that twisted from her head. Two small ones and then two towering ones.

Princess Luna tried to imagine the filly with those massive horns sprouted from her fair complexion. It was a strange mental picture.

"And what of Discord?"

The prophet chuckled to herself. "Discord is selfish with a heart of stone. The loss will not affect him long. Shield Equestria from his wrath, and he will eventually back off. He will quickly recover and move on. Like the way Discord so easily abandoned his precious friendship with Celestia."

The alicorn recalled how difficult it had been to keep Discord at bay at castle. The damage was still being repaired. No doubt what they had witnessed was only a fraction of what he was capable of.

"And what happens if we cannot put up a strong enough fight?" the alicorn inquired.

"Then he'll most likely destroy Equestria. But we have plenty of time to prepare for that. She's still so young."

After carefully collecting the cutie marks and names of a few unborn fillies, the princess was ready to depart.

Luna bowed her head to acknowledge the prophet and left the temple.

The prophet was changing…the night princess was sure of it. The kindness Luna knew and love was melting away. The draconequus was so desperate to pass on these duties to Honeysuckle...to the point of taking such cruel measures. And the prophet seemed so pleased to watch the poor filly's sufferings unfold.

But then again…what kinds of pain had the prophet already endured? Even so, it saddened Luna to see her draconequus friend this way. The sooner the prophet's soul is allowed to rest, the better. Even if that meant cursing Honeysuckle with nightmares.

After a long flight and a few dream-realm visits, she nimbly landed on a castle balcony, finding Celestia waiting inside.

"Discord didn't come back today either," Celestia said on the verge of tears.

Luna rolled her eyes and walked to her vanity. With magic she removed her night tiara and began to polish it. "Sister...I think it's safe to say he's not coming back. He said so himself."

"But…we're friends…"

Luna avoided meeting her sister's gaze. "Not anymore, Celestia."

"No! We _are_ friends! This is all your fault!" Celestia cried, "I had nothing to do with this! It's not my duty to babysit the prophet! If you hadn't caused such a scene, nothing would have changed."

Luna angrily struck the floor with her hoof. "An onlooker wouldn't believe you were the older sibling. You're acting ridiculous. It may not be your task to communicate with the prophet, but you _do_ have a duty to Equestira. And right now Discord is endangering the harmony of this land. Pull yourself together and realize that he's gone and not coming back!"

Celestia's face softened, looking genuinely sorry for the outburst. "Forgive me, sister. You are only trying to protect the filly he had neglected. Her safety and happiness must mean so much to Discord now."

Luna added, "By sacrificing the time he used to spend with you he can better care for Honeysuckle. That isn't so bad right? Besides, we still have each other. You're never truly alone."

Celestia managed a smile and the alicorn sisters shared a warm embrace. All was mended between them once again. They resolved to begin preparing for the inevitable confrontation with Discord.

.•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	19. Chapter 18

After weeks of practice I closed my books and stood ready to attempt the teleportation technique. My goal: to teleport from one side of the library to the other.

I closed my eyes and gathered my chaos power. I carefully extended my consciousness to the exact place I wanted to teleport. I could feel chaos sparking like electricity, drawn to that spot the same way negative charges in clouds are attracted to the positive charge of the earth. Suddenly the chaos exploded in a booming bolt and instantaneously I felt myself swept off my hooves.

My head felt dizzy and I stumbled to the wooden floor, the chaos buildup vanishing like an extinguished candle flame. When I shook off the feeling and looked around, I was amazed to find myself at the opposite end of the library. I had finally teleported.

At that moment the doors to the library blew open and Discord stormed in. I squealed in delight and ran to him.

"Master Discord! What have you been doing all this time locked up in your room?"

Discord scooped me up and eyed me up and down with a cold expression.

"I felt a huge burst of chaos and was sure you were under attack. Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "Nopony is in here but us. I was just studying. Let me show you what I've learned! You see I…"

The draconequus sighed and dropped me back down. He turned to leave again, and I grabbed his dragon tail desperately.

"Please don't go Master…I haven't seen you for so long. I've been all alone. And…I missed you so much."

He halted in his tracks but didn't turn to look at me.

"Why would somepony like you want me for company? You almost died thanks to me. Besides you have all the resources you need to learn chaos magic right here. I will shield you from harm, but my presence in unsuitable for you. For your own good I must confide myself to my personal chambers until you're strong enough to defend yourself. I've lived long enough that a decade or two is nothing. Now if you'll release me I think you should get back to studying."

I held onto his tail tighter and broke down crying. "No! I won't! I don't want to learn chaos just from books. I want to learn from you! Please, Master Discord? Stay?"

He turned to look down at me and our eyes met. The corners of his mouth curved into a gentle smile.

"Very well." He seemed hesitant, but I was delighted just the same.

I leapt into his arms and embraced him tightly, my face buried into soft grey fur. Discord quietly held me. After a few moments of silence, he set me down and motioned for us to sit together by the library fireplace. I sat on the floor by the fireplace, intrigued by the pretty flames. The draconequus snapped his paw and conjured some marshmallows.

"Why don't you make some s'mores while we chat?"

I nodded and loaded up a stick with as many marshmallows as I could fit.

Discord stroked his white beard and contemplated. After a few minutes of peaceful silence he spoke.

"Princess Luna has plans for you. There's something going on that she's purposefully keeping secret from me. She knew about your chaos power without ever meeting you. No doubt you falling into my care was planned. The princesses _want_ you trained."

As I layered chocolate and toasted marshmallows, I remained quiet. I knew my master preferred for his rants to be uninterrupted.

"But I can't figure out why they want this," he continued, "By allowing me to train you they are doubling the threat of chaos. Together, my dear, we are virtually unstoppable. To resort to such a dangerous risk, the princesses must want to use you for something. Badly."

He paused when I presented him a massive s'mores masterpiece. After ruffling my mane affectionately, he munched on the treat and conjured a glass of milk.

I nibbled on my own s'more. "I don't want to princess to take me away. I like it here."

The draconequus gulped down his drink and smiled, "And I like having you here. But I must admit...I have neglected you for far too long. You have lived here for years and I have spent so little time with you. I want to get to know you. I want to be friends."

"But Master…"

"No no no, I won't hear any protests. It's true."

Discord rose from the chair and began to pace. The glow of the fireplace illuminated his figure, looking almost divine.

"To keep you safe, I must ensure that the princesses never have an excuse nor the opportunity to take you away. Therefore…for your own safety you must never leave Chaos Manor unescorted. Understood?" By the tone of his voice I could tell this was an ultimatum. No room for negotiation.

"Now my little bundle of chaos, what was it that you learned in my absence? Let's see what books you were reading…ah! Teleportation chaos. That's probably one of the most advanced techniques you'll learn."

I proudly grinned up at Discord. But when Discord continued, my heart skipped a beat.

"If you don't mind, I would like you to set aside that particular study for now." He levitated my books and started returning them to their places on the shelves.

"Wait!" I hurried over and almost slipped skidding to a stop.

He leaned forward and patted me on the head. "Just let me have that extra layer of security that you won't have the ability to teleport out of here beneath my knowledge. Won't you do that one tinsy little thing for me?"

I sighed and dropped my head. "Yes, Master Discord."

.•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	20. Chapter 19

The morning light crept past my curtains and woke me up. I yawned rolled over, covering my head with a pillow. Five more minutes…

But then I remembered: today was a training day!

I leapt from my bed and stumbled over to the curtains. I threw the windows open and squealed in delight.

I rushed through my morning routine as fast as I could. I ran my hooves through my mane and splashed my face with some rose water.

I cantered down the spiral staircase to the kitchen. I grabbed a piece of bread and used a flash of chaos to toast it. I wolfed it down as I selected an apple. After chugging a glass of chocolate milk I took off again, a huge smile on my face. I ran faster and faster until I had burst into Discord's bedroom.

The draconequss was in a deep sleep, but not for long.

I climbed onto the bed and started to bounce up and down until Discord finally woke up.

"What are you doing? Get out of here! Let me sleep…" he grumbled as he tried to curl back up into his sheets. I tugged as his bat wing.

"Master Discord! You promised we'd train today. Come on, pleaaaasssseeeee?"

He reluctantly got up and stretched.

"Alright then. Meet me in the grand ballroom."

A few minutes later, we were ready to get started.

Discord cleared his throat. "Let's start with something easy. Summon a block of stone."

Easy enough. I thought about what I wanted and BOOM a spark of chaos made my vision a reality. I hopped on top of the block and bowed.

"Very good," the draconequus said. "Now, where did this come from?"

"Uhhhh...my magic?"

"Chaos doesn't pull something out of nothing. It all has to come from somewhere. Usually when you're creating something spontaneously you're pulling objects and materials from another dimension. That's child's play. From here on out I want you to be aware of the source of the materials to creative your visions. It's easy to pull anything you want from other dimensions. But I want you to be able to create using the earth around you. Do the same thing again, except this time I want you to form the block from materials in the ground below Chaos Manor."

I closed my eyes and tried to extend my awareness deep into the ground below my hooves. But it was like fumbling around for something in pitch black darkness.

I looked up at Discord, confused. He sat down with a giant plate of waffles.

"Go on. We have all day."

And it did take all day. In fact, this went on for about two weeks. I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated, trying to search the natural earth. Discord, meanwhile, altered between reading and snacking.

At last I was able to identify traces of materials. When I summoned those bits of stone into a single mass, it certainly didn't present itself in the perfect, pure block I achieved using chaos dimension materials. It was a lumpy mess.

A few more days of practice went by, and I was able to force the materials into a block visually equal to the one created on the first day of training.

"Very good. Now let's take this a step further." Discord chuckled a bit. "This is going to sound crazy, but this time try to listen to the iron.

"Listen?"

"Everything has chaos. And chaos always has a will of its own. You have the power to grant materials the ability to achieve its desires or shape them to your own. Don't look at me like that, I know it's a little strange and confusing. But trust me, there's truth to what I say. You'll figure it out soon. Try again."

I sighed and closed my eyes. Because of all my practice I was able to extend my consciousness and find scattered traces of stone with ease. But I withheld my chaos magic and observed. It was almost as if the materials were trembling with desires. Desires to move and reshape themselves. As I leaked a small trickle of magic, I thought about my desire for the stone to cut themselves into a block. I noticed that it was like herding. I decided to pull back and release chaos magic with a mind void of desires. I gave it the power and freedom to do what it wanted.

Except it wasn't very easy. Every time the materials started to go free, their spontaneous behavior surprised me and my will would snap them back to my own desires. I could only maintain desire-less chaos for a fraction of a second.

Two frustrating months went by. Each day I would eagerly wake up Discord and we'd spend the day in the ballroom practicing this exercise. We would take long walks outside for a fresh air and to talk about my progress.

One day, I was finally able set the earth free without any alteration of my own will.

I heard Discord clap. "Well done Honeysuckle. Open your eyes and admire your masterpiece."

I opened my eyes, breaking the stream of unrestricted chaos magic. A polished stone sculpture stood before me. It looked as if it had grown directly from the marble flooring. Its organic twists and swirls reminded me of a tree trunk covered in vines.

"What you're looking at is a demonstration of chaos magic most members of the draconequus race never achieve. A visual representation of the essence of chaos. You have complete control over your will and power, and the evidence is clear. This is the difficult technique I used to create Chaos Manor. It's an ancient chaotic form of art. You should feel very proud, Honeysuckle. Because _I_ am very proud of you."

I couldn't help it. I started crying. I gave Discord a huge hug and thanked him over and over again. Then I heard a strange bird call. I searched for the source and noticed two beautiful white peacocks perched on my sculpture.

Eagerly I gathered the two feathers I needed. One step closer to having all the necessary feathers needed to create my wings.

Discord raised his talon to send the peacocks away.

"Hey Master? Do you think maybe…we could keep the peacocks? They're so pretty and I would like to have them in the chaos garden. I promise to take good care of them!"

"You may. Just as long as they don't attack you. Any scratches or pecks and they're out."

I laughed. "You worry too much, Master."

.•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	21. Chapter 20

_I poured milk into my cereal and face planted the breakfast table. I was still exhausted from training super late. In frustration I threw my hooves over my head and ruffled my mane into a mess._

 _Discord strutted in, shimming a towel down his mane._

 _"_ _Good morning, Honeysuckle. Shield your eyes, I just got out of the shower."_

 _I responded with a groan. "Master…you never wear clothes."_

 _Discord sat down next to me at the table. He tapped me on the head. "You really need to brush that mane of yours. If you can't manage bedhead hair, how will you tame windblown hair?"_

 _That caught my attention. "What?"_

 _Discord gestured to the table, I looked up through my mane and saw a tiny present placed before me._

 _I carefully untied the ribbon and tore off the wrapping paper. Inside the box I found two long white feathers. I inspected them closely in awe._

 _"_ _Are these…?"_

 _Discord nodded. "Alicorn feathers. The last two you needed. Don't ask me how I got them though."_

 _"_ _So this means…we can forge my wings?"_

 _"_ _It does. Physically and chaotically you've grown a lot over the years and I think it's about time I grant your wish."_

 _I smiled and gave Discord a huge hug. He chuckled. "Honestly I was convinced you would have outgrown the desire to be a pegasus. You were such a tiny filly when you were doodling yourself with massive wings. But it seems you stuck to that daydream."_

 _I laughed and brushed my mane out of my face. I looked up at Discord and watched his smile suddenly vanish._

 _"_ _What…is that?" Discord snarled._

 _Before I could respond, he roared and flipped the table with so much force it blew me against the wall with brutal force. I shakily pulled myself back to my hooves._

 _"_ _Master! What's your problem?"_

 _His eyes burned red, hunched over and growling. He wasn't my master anymore. He was a terrifying monster._

 _He conjured a handheld mirror and threw it at me. I caught it midair and cast a glare at the draconequus._

 _I took a peak into the mirror…and what I saw made me gasp. A dark diamond was burned into my forehead. Shocked, I diverted my gaze only to notice all four of my hooves were marked with burns. As if my hooves had been dipped in scalding black ink._

 _"_ _What's wrong with me? I'm scared…wait! Don't!"_

 _Discord slashed at me with his powerful tail, whipping the mirror from my grip. It fell to the ground and shattered. I couldn't help but stand there frozen, completely dumbfounded._

 _He said nothing and charged, claws flashing. I dodged and threw myself out of the way…landing right in the mirror shards. I screamed in pain._

 _I begged, "Please Master! Stop!"_

 _"_ _DEMON!" he roared._

 _I tried to get up but was in so much pain I stumbled back down. Demon? Me?_

 _"_ _You are a foul monster unworthy of chaos magic. I'm_ _ **ashamed**_ _to be your master. You must be destroyed. BEGONE!" And with that he cast a fatal blast of destructive chaos._

I screamed at the top of my lungs. Suddenly my eyes flew opened and I found myself safe and sound in my bed. The sheets were twisted and yanked out. My flank dripped with sweat.

I frantically leapt from my bed and stumbled to the nearest mirror. I yanked my mane out of my face and scrutinized my reflection. Nothing but blank grey. No diamond mark.

It was just a dream. Again.

I slowly retreated to my bed and laid back down. The same nightmare had haunted me every full moon for the past couple of years here in Chaos Manor. I always knew it was coming. I always tried to mentally prepare myself, but it never shielded me. The nightmare Discord's fury seemed to grow even more terrifying each time.

The doors to my room burst open and Discord barged in, dressed in a full suit of samurai armor.

I threw a pillow at him. He caught it in midair, pouted, and tossed it back.

"Well excuse me for coming to your rescue. When you scream I have to assume you're being attacked. Guess I won't be needing this…" He threw the massive hammer he had been lugging out the window.

Discord's face softened when he looked at me again.

"Nightmare?" he asked.

I nodded and started to straighten my sheets.

"Any chance you remember what happened?"

"Nothing at all. Sorry I woke you up." Telling the truth was too difficult. I just wanted him to leave.

I snuggled back into bed and hid under the covers. Discord sighed and I heard him stand up. I felt his lion paw ruffle my mane.

"Don't you dare doubt yourself," Discord whispers. "You are strong to endure this torture. I'll find a way to stop this misery – it won't go on forever. I swear on my immortality. For now, sleep soundly and remember that I'll always be here."

And then a gently wave of chaos magic washed over me, sending me into a peaceful sleep.

.•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •


	22. Chapter 21

I laid in the Chaos Garden, sunbathing on a perfectly sunny morning. The garden was starting to feel like my only personal heaven. It was the one place in the manor Discord allowed me to change with my chaos magic. Not that I would want to change much about the manor in the first place. It certainly suited my chaos style quite nicely. Seemed to me like Discord was the one who seemed unhappy with the way it looked.

One of the white peacocks strolled by and fluttered on top of a twisted marble sculpture I had forged a while back. The bird was posed perfectly, its tail feathers cascading down like a waterfall.

Quickly I zapped a sketchbook into my hooves and started to sketch the bird as quickly as I could. I had barely began the details when the bird moved on. I laid back down in the grass, and my gaze rested on blue forget-me-nots.

I reached out my hoof and plucked a small bundle of the delicate blue flowers. I spread it out against the page and shut the sketchbook carefully. Whenever I drew in the gardens, I always pressed a flower to go along with it.

Sending my book back to my room, I stood up and stretched. After strolling back to the manor, I stopped by a bathroom. I applied a floral perfume and pulled the leaves out of my mane. When I heard one of the clocks chime noon, I made my way in the general direction of the dining room. The table looked rather plane, so I used some chaos to create a few extravagant flower arrangements. Of course I included plenty of flame lilies, one of the few flowers that was bizarre enough for Discord's liking.

I felt a breeze and noticed a window was open. When I went to close it I felt a burst of Discord's chaos magic behind me. When I turned around the entire dining table was set for a massive luncheon party. An amazing assortment of finger foods, fruit salads, and delicate sandwiches. Discord was already seated with a smug look on his face. He always overdid meals, but it certainly was nice to have such a large selection.

When I sat down, my jaw dropped a bit in surprise.

Resting before me was a white envelope marked with my name in gold.

I looked up at Discord, who nodded. "Go on. You have my permission to open it."

I smiled and picked it up carefully. I had never received mail before. When I gingerly flipped it over, there was a golden seal with an impression of the sun. The princess? I broke the seal and discovered a parchment that was accompanied by two golden tickets.

 _Her Royal Majesties Princess Celestia and Princess Luna_

 _request the honor of your presence is at this year's Grand Galloping Gala_

I could hardly believe my eyes. I read on to discover that the ball, a masquerade no less, was in fact very soon. A ball? With ponies as far as the eye could see…and beautiful dresses…and food…and the royal castle…My heart was beating so fast I could hardly contain myself. I had never felt so excited in my life.

I teleported to Discord's side and begged, "oh please Master, let me go?"

Discord took the letter from my hand and read it silently. He rose and walked to the window. I held my tongue, allowing him to think in silence, I wanted to burst with desperation.

He calmly began, "I have already made up my mind to allow you to go."

"YES!" I cheer and I ran up to the draconequus to give him a huge hug.

"Not so fast, dear Honeysuckle. Let me finish."

I pulled back and stood before him, my gaze resting on my hooves in embarrassment.

Discord cleared his throat, then continued. "You are much older now than when you met the princesses. The chances of them recognizing you are very slim, especially since you are capable of containing your chaos magic so well. I truly believe they mean you no harm. For now."

"You do?" this was strange for me to hear. Ever since the day I was rescued by Princess Luna, Discord had ranted and raved about how much he despised the princesses.

"I would not be surprised if their decision to make this year's gala a masquerade purely to give you an extra layer of security. Everypony deserves to be exposed to society while they're young and beautiful. And what kind of master would I be if I denied my apprentice such a wonderful experience?"

I sighed in relief. "However," Discord continued. "There are conditions you will need to agree to. There is always a chance that this is a trap. I doubt it…but we must be on our guard. Are you willing to hear my conditions?"

"Of course I am. Master I would do anything to go to the gala. Please…"

"Say no more and hear me out. First, you must agree to me acting as your chaperone the entire time you are in Canterlot. Does that seem fair?"

"Yes."

"Good. Second, you must agree to assume an alias in order to conceal your identify. Does that seem fair?"

"It does."

"You're in a very reasonable mood today. This is making this much easier for me. Finally, you must promise to make no friendships or acquaintances whilst in Canterlot."

That last one stung a bit. I understood Discord wanted to protect my identity so that I may attend the ball with minimal side effects. But at the same time…the idea of making some friends or even meeting a handsome gentlecolt was something I constantly daydreamed about. Was it still worth it?

I hesitated for a moment, but ultimately I nodded. I resolved to play along with Discord's demands. It was better than living the rest of my life wondering what I had missed out on. Discord was pleased with my cooperation, and thus we prepared for a shopping trip to Canterlot.

A few days later, I paced back and forth near the front door. The carriage was going to arrive any minute now and Discord hadn't emerged from his room at all morning.

At last I heard a knock on the door. I jumped, definitely not used to anypony visiting Chaos Manor. Timidly, I opened it. There stood a well-dressed middle aged colt. He was white with a well-groomed black mane. I tried to sneak a peek at his cutie mark, but his jacket tails covered it.

"Greetings milady. Is Lord Konton ready for the coach he called?" he asked with a polite bow.

"Oh! Ummm…" I looked over my shoulder. Still no Discord.

"I'm afraid Master Disc – I mean Lord Konton – has been running a little tardy this morning."

"Not to worry! I shall be waiting by the carriage. Alert me when he is ready to depart."

"No need, I am ready now" Discord's voice over my shoulder startled me.

"There you are - ahhhh…" as I turned to look at him my voice trailed off in shock.

Discord had shapeshifted himself into a unicorn! His flank was the same gray as his normal draconequus head. His mane was the same short, spiky black and his tale resembled the white tuff at the end of his usual dragon tail. I was desperate to take a peek at his cutie mark, but just like with the coachcolt I couldn't see because of his suit.

The disguised draconequus touched my dropped chin with his hoof and gently closed my mouth. "Don't stare, my daughter. It's rude."

"Oh!" the colt exclaimed, "you must be Lady Hachimitsu! Please right this way." He bowed again, deeper this time. He then led the way to an elegantly simple white carriage.

"What's with those weird names you picked out?" I hissed softly. "It makes me sound like I'm from Japony!"

Discord shrugged. "You name is still the same. To an extent. Hachimitsu is the Japony word for Honey. And Konton is the word for chaos."

I rolled my eyes and then climbed into the carriage as gracefully as I could. The interior was very luxurious, complete with gold cushions and stunning metallic detailing.

"Right now Rococo is all the rage right now in Canterlot," Discord explained when he noticed me admiring the carriage's design. "Personally, I think it's tacky and froufrou."

Discord and I sat across from each other, and soon the carriage was gently bumping down the road. I looked out the window for a while, but eventually I grew tired of seeing nothing but green hills for miles. It had never occurred to me just how far away Chaos Manor was from Equestrian towns.

Then I started to get a little nervous…was I ready to visit a place like Canterlot? Would I fit in? Would I stand out in a good way? A bad way? To calm my nerves I braided my mane to the side. I glanced up at Discord, who nodded in approval.

"That style suits you," he commented. "But mostly because it sweeps your mane out of your face." I smiled at him. After a few minutes of awkwardness, I broke the silence.

"Master…I have a question."

"And I have an answer."

I nervously fidgeted with the braid, trying to find the right words. "Well, it's about Chaos Manor. You say you built it yourself, but it's not really your style."

"Oh?"

"Well…it's a masterpiece of pure chaos. As you know, it's my favorite visual demonstration of our magic. But I know that your chaos is so much more colorful, wild, and random. I always wondered why the manor wasn't colorful with gravity warps."

Discord tapped his hooves together in contemplation. "Your observations are correct, Chaos Manor isn't a true demonstration of my chaos style. In fact Chaos Manor wasn't mean to be my primary home."

"It wasn't?"

"Not at all. Before I adopted you I lived in a smaller residence in an alternative dimension. And if you saw it, I can guarantee that you would laugh and admit that it had my name written all over it."

I pressed further, fascinated by what I was learning about Discord. "Then why make a second house that was completely out of your style?"

"Chaos Manor was my attempt at recreating the place that was once called my childhood home."

The carriage fell silent. I hadn't intended to pry into his past. I certainly wouldn't want anypony inquiring about mine.

But Discord smiled and chuckled. "Don't give me such sad eyes, let us rid ourselves of any secrets. You have only met me, but there was a time when I was not the only draconequus. It was a massive and powerful empire. And my parents were the monarchy. But…all good things must come to an end. Suddenly I was the only one left. I was…alone."

His voice trailed off and he stared out the window. It has been a while since I saw him so sad. I stood up and switched to the other side of the carriage so that we sat side by side.

I took his hoof. "You're not alone anymore," I said as cheerfully as I could. "We have each other. And you're not the only draconequus, because on the inside I'm one too!"

Discord looked up at me and managed a genuine smile. Suddenly my eyes glanced out the window and I gasped at the sight. I flew to the window and squealed.

"Welcome to Canterlot, Lady Hachimitsu," Discord said to me. "Are you ready to feel like royalty?"

I nodded, unable to take my eyes away. So many buildings of every shape, size and color. And handsome stallions and beautiful mares as far as the eye could see. Everything was so refined, and so alive!

I bit my lip in dismay as I realized every mare was strutting about in lovely dresses. The purpose of going to Canterlot was to have a dress made but I was almost ashamed to step out of the carriage the way I was.

Then the blood drained from my face. I realized that my blank flank was out in the open for all to see. Flashes of my childhood started coming back to me. Feeling wilted and a bit dizzy, I sat back into my chair.

Discord could read me like a book. "Silly me, I almost forgot! Here…" and suddenly I found myself in a simple mint green dress with elegant white lace detailing and pastel yellow ribbons. On my head was a simple straw woven hat tied to my chin with silk ribbon.

Discord held up a mirror. "You look absolutely radiant my dear. Now take this parasol, all Canterlot ladies use these to shield their flank from the sun."

I felt happy tears welling up. I looked really pretty. And my blank flank was completely hidden. Nopony would notice my missing cutie mark. "Thank you…thank you so much…"

Before Discord could reply, the carriage jolted to a halt. Moments later the driver opened the door.

"Here we are! Now watch your step milady," he said as he took my hoof and helped me out of the carriage.

I opened my parasol and held my chin up proudly. Discord appeared by my side.

As we began walking arm-in-arm he asked, "Tell me, my daughter, what would you like to do?"

I thought about it for a moment, looking around. My gaze fell upon an elegant café up ahead.

"How about we enjoy some tea, and then go to the dress boutique?"

Discord nodded, "of course. After all, it is your birthday."

That caught me off guard. "It is? But I don't even know when…how?"

He chuckled. "You act so surprised. There's nothing that the _lord of CHAOS_ can't figure out." He said that so loudly a few ponies glanced at us with confused expressions.

I nudged him with my shoulder and giggled, "You're right, but be careful! We're fresh off the coach and you're already giving away our disguise."

"Alright alright. You have a point. Here we are, the Black Tree Café. Now let us enjoy some tea and rest for a while."

.•*´¨`*•• ••*´¨`*•. •

 _To my wonderful readers:_

 _I have good news and I have bad news._

 _Let's get the bad over with first..._

 _I'm taking a long-term break from FanFiction. My current college lifestyle makes it difficult for me to deliver the quality content you deserve. I want to return to this story someday, but with my current situation its not possible. It could be a couple months, it could be a YEAR before I have time to continue writing. I'm sorry for anypony who is disappointed. If you're desperate to know how it all ends, send me a note and I'll let you take a peak at the outline of the rest of the story. And if somebody out there wants to talk about a transfer of rights to the story, let me know. I'm open to passing on the story and letting someone else complete it (even though the thought of giving Honeysuckle away breaks my heart ~ I'd rather see her story come to life than be forgotten forever)._

 _Here's the GOOD news..._

 _I am now spending a lot of time on DevintArt. I'm creating a lot of OC's and spinning out a lot of traditional art and photography (a LOT of it MLP related). My account is still young but my hand can barely keep up with my ideas. Also ~ some of Honeysuckle's character art can be found on my profile. If you're interested come visit me!_

 _My DeviantArt name is KikunaPie. Because apparently Kikuna is already taken by somebody *pout*_

 _Lots of love to all my viewers ~ your kindness has kept me going all this time. And I'll always be grateful for each and every one of you. Because by reading my story, you gave me so much confidence in my creativity._

 _It has been an honor to be here, and hopefully this isn't goodbye forever._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Kikuna_


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